Choice
by J000liet
Summary: It wasn't a choice to fall in love with her... Not really. Starts with an (AU) Beach Episode.
1. Chapter 1: Thunder

**Chapter 1: Thunder...**

Kyōya's vision cleared and she was draped across his chest. "Kyōya…" She sang as she rest her chin on her. "Kyōya… it's time to get up." She sang again. "You wouldn't want to miss your birthday, would you?"

She slid down his chest and he saw a wicked smile he was unsure sweet little Haruhi could possess. "If you miss your birthday present, don't whine about it later." She pulled the blankets over her head and he gasped as he was embraced by the sweet sensation of-

* * *

BZZZ! BZZZ!

 _Damn alarm!_ He picked it up and threw it across the room, shattering it against the wall. He got up and sighed. _Another cold shower_ , he rubbed the back of his neck.

And Ouran was no help, which was no surprise. It never was. The work was dull, it didn't tax his mind at all. Which meant it could wander. To this morning. And that damn dream. So come the end of the day, and Host Club, Kyōya was crabby to say the least.

* * *

Haruhi could tell he was having a not-so-fantastic day. Something the others either didn't see or chose to ignore. The topic of discussion today: when they would go to the beach. Not just any beach, a private beach. She had nothing to offer the conversation, so she turned her attention to the young man with glasses next to her.

"Kyōya-sempai, is everything alright?"

"Fine." He snapped.

She sighed. "If you say so. Everything is done on my end of things. May I go home now?"

"Sure." He continued with his typing.

"Okay. Thanks. And," she took a deep breath, "you can talk to me about anything that's bothering you." She patted his shoulder, and left.

* * *

And here they were. At the beach. Kyōya had to make a 'working' trip, just so that she wouldn't be the only female there. Just so that he wouldn't go mad. And then she had to go climb that damn cliff. He let Tamaki go after her, after all what could he gain by chasing after her. But she was pushed and the entire club held their breath waiting for that idiot to catch her. Kyōya's heart ached when he saw him carrying Haruhi out of the ocean, because in that moment he wished that he was holding her, cradling her head against his neck.

But an idiot is always an idiot. Haruhi could take care of herself, she always had in the past. Everyone seemed to know that except him. But she was being idiotic too. All of them were worried, it didn't matter if she could take care of herself or not. And while the snapping crab legs were humorous, she was missing the point. He sighed and went to his room to try to get some work done on his latest acquisition. He couldn't lose focus, not now when he was so close. But when his bedroom door slammed open and Haruhi rushed into his bathroom, he couldn't help but laugh a little. She ate too much. But then he heard her starting to retch and he almost jumped to her rescue. She stumbled out of the bathroom and he couldn't help himself. She didn't even flinch when he was on top of her. Damn that girl for seeing through him. He sat up and contemplated his next move. But that was when the idiot decided to barge in, with Haruhi in his bed and himself shirtless. _Here's the damn lotion, you moron. Now get out_. He heard thunder in the distance and heard the mattress spring move ever so slightly. But Tamaki was determined to stay, and he was determined to get him out, so he shoved and he pushed and eventually Tamaki was out of his room.

Just then, a bright flash and a loud rumble filled the room. He heard a squeak and a rustle of blankets before he turned to see Haruhi fleeing into the cupboard.

"Haruhi-ch-" There was another crash of thunder and a squeak. _Interesting_... He put on his shirt, not wanting to cause any more trouble than he already had. "You should come out."

"I'll get through it. Just like I always do. Go back to your work." She mumbled through the door.

He rubbed his temples and sighed, already dreading the massive headache he would have in the morning. She really was a pain, wasn't she. "Just like you always do, huh?" He grabbed the door handles. "Here's the thing… Things aren't the same now as they were back then." He threw open the door and bent down to her level. "You aren't alone now, you idiot." He yanked her up out of the closet and placed her on her feet between him and the bed. A crash of thunder again and Haruhi made a break for the bed. He grabbed her hand and pulled her close. "Didn't you hear me?" He held the back of her head. "You aren't alone. Lightning flashed across the sky and thunder rumbled again. Haruhi couldn't stand anymore, her knees gave out and the feeling of falling started to encompass her. But his arms never gave way, and he never let go. He just fell with her.

"Geez." He sighed. "You really are afraid of storms." He loosened his arms just the slightest and she whimpered. "I'll be right back. I promise." He grabbed a blanket off his bed and came back to her. He pulled her into his lap and wrapped her in the soft white blanket he had grabbed. "You can stay with me until the storm is over." He said before he covered her ear with one hand and rubbed her back with his other. He eyed his laptop longingly, but he knew that until the storm was over he wasn't going to be able to go anywhere. That wasn't the only reason, though. This would probably be the only time he would ever be able to hold her. So he would relish in this time, even if the storm ended in only a matter of seconds. However, the storm didn't end, it only got worse. And she started crying. And soon his shirt was soaked. But he didn't care. He would treasure the way she felt in his arms, the way she smelled, the way she held onto him. He had to fight what he wanted, to push his true thoughts to the back of his mind, but if he could just hold her a little while longer, then it would be worth it. All the dreams, all the showers, they would all be worth it.

Soon, however, the shaking stopped, along with the whimpers and the small squeaks. He looked down and noted that Haruhi had fallen asleep. "What a pain…" He sighed. But at the same time, it felt nice. To hold her in his arms as she slept, to know she trusted him completely, it was a strange sense of pride for him. He doubted she would fall asleep with Tamaki or the twins anywhere near her. She may have done this with Honey or Mori, but he noted that she approached them even more differently than him: like they were family or something. She would feel safe with one of them, but Kyōya felt like it would be different with one of them.

Just at that moment, his door opened and light flooded in, revealing the rest of the host club.

"KYŌ-"

"Shut up." He glared at the blonde idiot. "She just fell asleep."

"But why are you holding her?" The twins asked in unison.

"She's afraid of thunderstorms." He looked down at her. "She was in here when the storm started and attempted to hide in my closet."

"Yes, but why are you holding her Kyōya-chan?" Honey tilted his head in his signature way.

"Because she was scared." He pushed a strand of hair out of her face. "And as you know she's so used to being alone. She needed someone to show her why we were all mad about the cliff. That she has people who worry about her now."

"She didn't know we-" Tamaki started to ask the obvious.

"She was so confused as to why you were mad at her." He looked at his (even though he would never admit it out loud) best friend. "The rest of us had to explain it to her."

"Mmm." Mori added.

"But why wouldn't she know." Tamaki looked at the sleeping girl.

"Because she's always been like this." Kyōya explained. "She's always taken care of everyone, but she never has had anyone to truly take care of her."

"But she has Daddy now!" Tamaki cried loudly.

Haruhi let out a little mewl and nuzzled into Kyōya's chest. "Shut. Up. You. IDIOT!" Kyōya hissed and glared at him. "Do you really want to wake her up?" The rest of the group looked at him with jaws hanging down. He sighed. The thunderstorm wasn't letting up. "Someone hand me my damn laptop?" He asked the group, but looked to Mori, knowing he was the only one who would actually do something about it.

"Haaaa?" The twins looked at him like he was an alien. "You're going to work with her in your arms?"

"No, no, no!" Tamaki went into full prince mode. "With a maiden in your arms you have to express your undying devotion!"

"Does she have anything cute to snuggle with?" Honey developed flowers around his head. It was hard, sometimes, for Kyōya to remember that Honey was older than he was.

"Here." Mori passed the computer down over his shoulder. "And its plugged in."

"Thanks." Kyōya took it and placed it in front of him. "Can all of you get out now?"

"And leave you all alone with my precious daughter?" Tamaki exclaimed.

"Yes." Kyōya opened his laptop and quickly typed in his password.

Mori grabbed the twins and started to pull them out. Honey took Tamaki by the hem of his shirt and started pulling. When Mori noticed the lolita having some difficulties, he gave the twins a shove, came back, and dragged Tamaki out by the collar. He stopped at the table by the door and tossed the glassesthtat were resting there gently to Kyōya. They landed right next to his computer, making almost no noise as the landed on the thick carpet. Mori gave him a single nod and continued to pull a resisting Tamaki out of the bedroom.

 _Thanks…_ Kyōya thought, as he shifted Haruhi around in his arms a little and started buying shares.


	2. Chapter 2: Don't

**Chapter 2: Don't**

He didn't mean to… well he did, actually. But damn that Tamaki! Kyōya needed to fund the club somehow! And so he did what he always did: he took care of things. And now, because of stubbornness and money, they were at risk of losing Haruhi. _Don't… Don't go_.

He would never call it a mistake… but that incident was the reason why he was being measured for a - _NO_! he winced to even think about it. But the twins would die before they put any of that hideous paste by his face. _Don't… no lace!_

And why was MORI the prince! Why was HE exempt from this humiliation. Kyōya glared at the senior, and was met by an arrogant smirk. Kyōya, deep down, knew the reason. Because even IF the twins hired the Ootori secret police, and IF Mori was inebriated, Mori could kill every last one of them, and he wouldn't even break a sweat. And so, Kyōya was stuck in this ridiculous dress while Tamaki made a fool of himself… AGAIN! _sigh… Tamaki… Just don't..._

And then she started laughing… laughing so hard she couldn't breath. _Don't - don't stop laughing_.

She just liked the way the damn pencil wrote… he sighed to himself as he slipped a (not free) better version of the same pencil into her case while she was distracted. _Don't catch me._

That night, as he worked with his acquisitions, he sighed and rubbed his eyes. The screen's brightness was starting to hurt. But that simple break from concentration was enough to bring her back into his thoughts. All the 'don'ts' from the past day.  
 _Don't go.  
_ _Don't add lace!  
_ _Don't Tamaki…  
_ _Don't stop laughing.  
_ _Don't catch me.  
_ Out of all the 'don'ts', there was one that was rattling around in his head. The one rule he had made for himself when he met the blonde buffoon. He had several rules… this was just the one he swore he would never break. Not until he needed to, anyways. THE ONE THING! He slammed his fist on the desktop.

 _DON'T FALL IN LOVE! Don't… don't… don't fall in love._

And he had.

With a smart, witty, independent woman who didn't care about the money. Who saw through him. Who made him feel… something. Who was his best friend's love.

Kyōya had fallen in love. And (at the moment) it felt like the worst possible thing that could happen.


	3. Chapter 3: Findings and a Date

**Chapter 3: Findings and a Date**

Since he had met Haruhi, there were many things Kyōya had found out. He had been thinking about her all day (again) and his mind had wandered to what she had taught him about himself. He had thought that an impossible task, but she had somehow managed the impossible.

Of course he had known about her father. And of course he had reached out to him. He wasn't an idiot, like some other blond person he knew. And in researching her and her father, he had learned about her mother. Sickness is not a pleasant way to go, he knew that well being the third son to the owner of the Ootori group. But at least it wasn't hereditary, so Haruhi was safe. He didn't blame her father for her independence. But for her father to drag all of them to the supermarket… he would have preferred to just wait. Things would have been more efficient and simpler that way. But even though he had known all those things, he had found out that he didn't like the idea of Haruhi getting sick.

He found out that the most refreshing of the group would always be twins may have won the stupid game they had started, but Haruhi was always the most refreshing in the group. That was for a simple reason: she was the most innocent, and the most careful of the lot of them. Save for him, she was the only one thinking about the future, it seemed. She understood that the future wasn't free, that everything had a price.

But above all else, he had found out that he was an intensely jealous person, although he would never admit it outloud. He was jealous of the Nekozawas, with their familial bond. He had wished that at least one of his brothers cared about him like Umehito cared about Kirimi. Sure, he had his sister, but that wasn't the same thing. She was invasive and annoying, always rearranging his drawers. And it wasn't annoying in the same way Kirimi was, with her hugs and her manga and her… cuteness.

He was jealous of Honey, to have someone care about him the way Mori cared about Honey. They were only cousins, but they knew each other so well. He was, without a doubt, ecstatic that Honey was not allowed his sweets because it saved the club so much money, but in the end he was jealous that Mori would go so far for Honey. It was never his responsibility to tell Honey to brush his teeth, and yet Mori felt so torn about forgetting to do it twice… Kyōya wanted someone to care about him like that. He felt himself looking to Haruhi at times for that, but he knew… suspected… believed… that that wish, the wish that she would care about him like that, would not come to pass.

As much as he was loathed to admit it, he was jealous of Tamaki. Tamaki felt no shame, no discomfort in physical contact with Haruhi. He was jealous that Tamaki could get Haruhi to do what he wanted, simply by acting like a dog. He was jealous of Tamaki was. He didn't have to spy on the newspaper club, to threaten other families, to be the bad guy. But most of all, he was jealous of all the time that Tamaki could spend _alone_ with Haruhi.

But above all, on that day, he was jealous of Hikaru. Hikaru got to go on a date with Haruhi. What he was not jealous of, was that slap. He felt like he deserved something like that from Haruhi sometimes, yes, but Kyōya hoped never to experience it in his lifetime. He sighed as he thought about that date.

* * *

While he usually thought stalking Haruhi to the extent of interfering with her life was an obnoxious waste of time, this time he would gladly follow. But things were going well, he guessed, because the club decided to leave the two be. But when the thunder started and they weren't back yet, Kyōya learned a new thing: he was scared. Seconds after the first roll of thunder, he got a call from Hikaru. He answered on speaker.

"Is Haruhi back yet?" Hikaru asked, almost as if he didn't care. All the hosts went white.

"NO!" Tamaki yelled.

"Why isn't she with you?" Karou asked disappointedly.

"That friend of her's showed up. I left them to their memories. She's probably with him then.

In the background they heard the owner of the establishment on the phone with said childhood friend, and the group realized that Hikaru was wrong.

"She's not." Kyōya said with a master-faked calm.

"You idiot!" Tamaki screamed at Hikaru, while still only a few inches from Kyōya's ear.

"Hikaru, you had better find her." Kyōya snapped and Tamaki wailed until he realized that the call had ended.

They all waited with baited breath for the two to return home. They came home cold and wet and cold and shaking. But for some reason, they were both smiling.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!" Tamaki yelled.

"Tamak-" Haruhi tried to calm him down.

"MY PRECIOUS DAUGHTER ALL ALONE!"

"But I wasn't alone… Hikaru was there." She said softly.

"Haru-chan, you should dry off!" Honey popped up.

"Kay." She brushed passed the group and walked upstairs.

When she was out of earshot, Honey spoke again. "Why did you leave her alone, Hika-chan?"

"I thought she wanted to be alone with that friend of hers…" he mumbled and rubbed his neck. "But we talked about it so can you just leave me alone."

Later that night, he was sitting in his room unable to focus, as he had learned a new thing about himself: he worried. He was worried about Haruhi. If she would get sick, if she would be able to sleep. He was worried while she was gone that she was lost somewhere, frozen in fear. He knew that he wouldn't be able to get any work done while he worried, so he wandered to her room and knocked on the door, slightly shocked it opened almost instantly.

"I was wondering when you would come." She smiled. "Everyone else has already come."

 _Oh…_ He shifted in his place. "I apologize for disturbing you." And he moved to go back to his room.

"Kyōya," her soft voice stopped him and he turned his face to look over his shoulder.

"Yes?" He asked, just as softly as she had called for him.

"I wish… I wish it was you." She whispered and closed her bedroom door.

* * *

It took him a few days to realize it, but he found out two other things from that date with Hikaru.

The first, he had hope. A change. The option of winning Haruhi's heart.

The second, was that he really, _really_ wanted to win it.


	4. Chapter 4: Kyōya's Not So Reluctant

**Chapter 4: Kyōya's Not So Reluctant Day Out**

He wouldn't make his father proud, he would make him desperate and angry and Kyōya would surpass him in every way. Kyōya would make his father fear him. And with that in mind he stayed up till sunrise buying shares, selling stocks, and making deals around the world. He was the richest student in Ouran, he knew that considering he owned about a third of the families' businesses. He had been working on this project for years now, pulling all-nighters to regain hundreds of thousands lost. He had saved and splurged and created an empire that could rival no one else.

BUT when the club materialized in his room, after only about two and a half hours of sleep… He'd admit that he snapped and indulge himself in, what he hopped would be a few more hours of blissful sleep. Unfortunately, when he woke he was not in his bed, nor his room, nor his house. He was in some god-forsaken mall, left on a bench by his so called best friend, with no phone and no wallet. It was in that moment he decided he was going to kill that imbecile.

"Kyōya-sempai?" He heard her voice over his shoulder. "I didn't expect to see you here today."

 _I didn't expect to be here today._ He thought as he eyed her up and down. She would at the very least have a phone. He could call for a car and get home to plot Tamaki's death. At the most she would have a wallet, and a wallet meant money, and money meant food. "How much money do you have on you, Haruhi?"

He did not particularly _enjoy_ fast food. He decidedly did not enjoy the lady behind the counter's version of service, but he could tell she enjoyed to cool type, so he wouldn't destroy her life. But with the limited budget, this is what they could afford. And he would make sure Tamaki reimbursed the both of them, Haruhi with money and Kyōya… with something. Truth be told, he had never eaten a burger like this in his life. But he was enjoying it, simply because he was spending time with Haruhi. Girls might flirt with him, but she would be the only one he saw. He might be putting on a cold, callous exterior, but inside he was panicking. The indifference he portrayed was a mask. Truth was, he cared. He always had. The only difference between him and Tamaki was that he was taught not to show it from an early age, with lessons he still couldn't forget. And unlike himself, Haruhi was an easy read. She was wondering why he and Tamaki worked together so well. And he wasn't lying when he said that the glue that held the club together was everyone's egos. They may have grown to care for eachother, but as long as their ego's existed, so would the club. They sat in silence for a while, and that silence slowly ate away at his desire to appear that he was indifferent. She was just so… cute… the way she was chewing absentmindedly on her straw and fries.

"Haruhi," he looked at her from the soda-pop he was drinking. _I've heard that some of these are excellent at keeping one up. I may have to try it._

"Yes, Kyōya-sempai?" She chewed on a fry.

"Would you…" he looked down. _How is this so hard?_ "Would you accompany me shopping today? I do not know how to proceed from here. I heard that there is some sort of event today as well, if you would like to attend." He quickly stuck the straw in his mouth.

"I would like that very much." She blushed cutely.

After he quickly got over the initial shock and shook himself mentally out of his daze, he smiled nicely and looked right at her. "Are you done with your fries?"

"Hmm?" She was nibbling absent mindedly on a new fry. "Oh! Well… I am full, but I like cold fries, so I think I may save these for later."

"Very well. Then should we be off?"

"Okay." She smiled, wrapped the fries in some paper napkins, and piled everything else on a tray. "Are you done with that?" She pointed at his cup.

"Yes." He nodded. She grabbed that as well, placed it in the tray, and stood with the pile of garbage. "Where are you taking that?"

"The trash." She smiled. "You have to clean the table yourself. They'll wipe it down for you, but you have to clear it."

As they walked next to the product expo, he resisted the urge to take her hand in his. They walked in and immediately something caught his eye. "Black pearls from Ishigagi Island? Odd to find them here, considering how much they go for." He stated dryly.

"No kidding!" Haruhi examined them more closely. "Although they are lovely." He caught her mumbling under her breath. "How could you tell where they were from?"

"I am the product of excellent breeding." He recited the motto he was taught by his father.

"Breeding, huh?" She stated outloud and looked up at him with those big, brown eyes of hers. "You know, sempai, you don't fool me for a minute." She smiled and started to walk away.

 _What?_ Kyōya watched as she got farther away before running after her.

"It amazes me that I know so little about your family." Haruhi thought outloud.

"That is because there is really nothing for you to know about my family. At least, nothing that should be of interest to you." He stated matter-of-factly.

"Well that seems to be a little unfair of you, dont you think?" She asked.

"By what do you mean unfair?" He stopped them to ask.

"I mean, you know everything about me and my family, Kyōya-sempai. You even know who my father's friends from work are. And I know nothing about yours. I call that unfair. And as your friend, I would like to know more about you." She looked up at the ceiling, clasping her hands behind her back.

"That's a very intriguing notion, in its own way." He pondered. The way Haruhi though amazed him. Most of the others knew next to nothing about his family as well, yet they never claimed that it was unfair that he knew almost everything about them.

"For starters, why don't you tell me about your brothers?" She asked him. "What kind of people are they?"

 _Awful… Horrible… Rotten… No none of those words are good enough. They've had it so easy._ "They are rather… exceptional. My father puts a lot of stock in them. Though as the third son, things work out differently for me."

"I didn't realize you were under so much pressure to succeed, Kyōya." She said sadly.

That caught him off guard. _How has she been the only one to think this. Everyone else thinks it's normal… And why would she be sad? It has nothing to do with her_. And then he almost jumped when he felt her hand on his arm.

"But I know you are going to do something exceptional. If you ever need to talk about something, you can talk to me." She smiled.

"There is nothing more fun than the game I am playing, Haruhi." He smiled down at her. "So there is no pressure. Not anymore." He was only a few steps away from achieving his goal, and it was making him feel… almost giddy. But when he saw her curl her back and sigh, he felt something else too… almost like regret. He would admit that it seems that he had missed out on something growing up. Some sense of fun that the others had that he didn't. But they were all the first borns. They all had something that would be given to them. He would have to work for everything. He would… _Wait._ He stopped himself. _Is this… the pressure Haruhi was talking about? This knowledge that he was different from everyone that he could say that he was close to._

But that boothman… he was about to scam an old lady. And Kyōya wouldn't let that happen. So maybe he wasn't as cold and calculating and heartless as he pretended he was, but he didn't think that was a bad thing. It turned out that she was important for his family's business. That and… he owned the company that her husband was the CEO of.

But Haruhi saw through the story in a second. He was hoping she would, but he didn't expect her to figure it out so fast. So he quickly looked around for something to change the subject and found something that caught his eye and confused him.

"Hey, Haruhi, did you know this?" he called over his shoulder. "Is melon the preferred flavor among snack makers? It doesn't make sense… If the primary ingredient is corn, why go through all the trouble of making it taste like fruit? It seems counter intuitive."

And she started to giggle at him. He was genuinely confused and she was laughing? "That's an intriguing noting, in its own way." She fired back with a smile.

"Was I being funny?"

"Earlier you were going on and on about how you and Tamaki-sempai are nothing alike. But what you just said about the candy? It sounds exactly like him!" She giggle even harder.

His face softened into a smile. "You think so? This does seem like something he and the twins would fawn over…" Her smiling face popped back into his head. "Very well. I'll buy them. Haruhi, your wallet." He got some of the candies and gave her the receipt.

"Did you want to do anything else?" She asked him.

"We should probably find the others…" He sighed. He didn't want to but they were probably scaring children and buying out every stall and causing trouble…

"Do you just want to go back to the bench and wait?"

"Sure." It was as good a plan as any…

They made their way back to the bench and the two sat down. "Kyōya-sempai, I hope you had a good day, regardless of whether or not Tamaki-sempai and the others dragged you here."

"Huh?" He looked at her. "How did you know?"

"You've been more miserable than usual today. Usually when your mood is like this, it means that you've been forced into something by Tamaki-sempai. I hope you had at least a little fun."

"Surprisingly…" He gave her a soft smile, "I did."

"ATTENTION SHOPPERS!" A voice came over the speakers. "THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR A LITTLE LOST BOY NAMED KYŌYA OOTORI, WHO IS LOST INSIDE THE STORE. REPEAT: KYŌYA OOTORI IS LOST. HIS GUARDIAN IS WAITING FOR HIM AT THE CENTER FLOOR INFORMATION COUNTER. KYŌYA IS 5 FEET 11 INCHES TALL WITH BLACK HAIR AND WEARING PRESCRIPTION GLASSES."

He stood calmly and straightened his glasses. "That damn idiot." He grumbled. " I'll KILL him!" He growled to Haruhi. "Let's go."

They quickly, and sneakily, made their way to the information counter, to find the entire Host Club waiting for him.

"Kyōya! There you are! We were so worried..." Tamaki cried. "And why is Haruhi with you?"

"Yay! Haru-chan has come to play with us!" Honey cried out.

"YAAY! Play! Play! Play!" The twins chanted.

"Sorry, guys, but I'm exhausted." She moaned. "It has been a very long day for me."

Suddenly, Tamaki was on the floor being licked by a dog. "What is with the dog?" Kyōya asked calmly.

"Isn't she amazing!? I got her at a place called a pet shop!"

"And how exactly am I like this moron?" Kyōya asked Haruhi.

She just started giggling. "You may not want to admit, but I know you couldn't have seen that lady's ring. I know you're not as selfish as you claim. But I'll let you pretend. I'll let you pretend that you're just a big jerk, when in reality being a nice guy comes so easily to you." She smiled. "It just seems counterintuitive to me." She gave him a little smile and started to walk away.

He gave a little laugh and watched her walk away. "That's a very intriguing notion in its own way."

* * *

When he got home that afternoon, he looked at his portfolio. He could stop now and have more than enough money for the rest of his life. But what about...

He opened a new tab on his web browser and clicked on the "Create an Account" button. He quickly transferred some of his money into the account and looked to the "Account Holder" box.

 _Name…_ he smiled as he typed, _Haruhi Fujioka_.


	5. Chapter 5: The Not First Kiss

**Chapter 5: The Not First Kiss**

When she left this morning, she was expecting the Host Club to show up, not Lobelia. Yet somehow, here she was, being smothered by girls while wearing a uniform for a school not her own. Honestly, she would have prefered the twins and Tamaki, simply because she knew that Mori or Kyōya would be around to save her. But she couldn't rely on them forever, so she shoved them off and tried to go.

And then they asked her to do a musical with them. _HA!_ She couldn't sing to save her life. There is no way she would do that. But even when she knew she was being manipulated, she couldn't resist one of the Lobelia's sob stories about her mother.

* * *

When he had said 'let's go visit Haruhi' Kyōya never imagined that they would end up at _Lobelia_ of all places, listening to the simple fact that Haruhi's mother was a Zuka-Fan. Haruhi wanted to be just like her mother, but Kyōya would hate himself if he let her turn into one of the Zuka-Club. She was a host and (even if it had to be fake) she had a debt to repay. He refused to wear the shirt. Somehow, Honey-sempai had talked Mori into a shirt, but he was off in the corner silently pouting. While the club was going on and on about Haruhi's bad acting, Kyōya set into action. He just so happened to own the company that was in control of Lobelia, so he could get in somehow, he just had to thing. _The new media system!_ He remembered after a moment, so he made a few calls and made his way to the sound booth. _Technology really is amazing…_

But he saw her on that stage, covered in makeup, and he winced. She looked like a clown. He waited for the club to get her off the stage, but that wasn't happening and it was almost time for the kiss…

Lights went off and the idiots got caught. _Sigh… plan B it is then._ He pulled out his phone and made the call. Yes he would embarrass Haruhi, but that would be better than having an insane lady kiss her. While it was worth it to see the idiot get crushed under the weight of everything, he went quickly back to work so that he could save her from the Lobelia girls and her crazy father. He hurried down to the stage and held out his hand. "Haruhi!" He called.

* * *

She saw her exit and she took it, she wasn't stupid after all. Kyōya pulled her through the theater and to a limo where he (not so nicely) shoved her and told his driver to 'move'. She slumped, all sense of dignity gone, into her seat as the car pulled out of Lobelia Academy.

"Are you alright, Haruhi?" He asked her.

"Ugh… maybe." She pushed herself up and started to rub off the endless makeup on her face.

"Here." He handed her a bag.

She opened it and found some clothes, along with a packet of cleansing wipes. "Thank you, Kyōya-sempai." She smiled and opened the wipes. Several minutes of scrubbing, and most of the wipes later, she realized she didn't know the area they were in. "Um, sempai?"

"Yes, Haruhi?" He was looking out the window.

"Where are we?" She looked as trees flew passed her window.

"I don't know." He smiled and looked at her. "I thought it better if you were able to escape to a place where you wouldn't be found." Just then her phone rang. "Or would you like to go home to your father and Tamaki?" He smirked.

She felt herself go white and she answered the phone. "Hello?" She held the phone away from her ear.

"HARUHIIIIII!" She saw the driver jump at the sound of her father's voice over the phone. "YOU GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW YOUNG LADY!"

"I will not come home until you calm down." She said into the phone.

"YOU TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE!" He yelled.

"I'm with Kyōya-sempai." She told him.

"PUT THAT YOUNG MAN ON THE PHONE RIGHT NOW!" He demanded.

"As long as you promise not to yell."

"Yes, yes, put him on!"

"Dad, I mean it." She warned.

"Fine…" He grumbled.

BE CAREFUL, she mouthed as she handed over the phone.

"Hello, this is Kyōya." He said seriously.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO MY BELOVED DAUGHTER!?" He yelled.

"You can hang up now, Kyōya-sempai." Haruhi announced.

"NO! No… Apologies. Kyōya, where are you?" Her father demanded.

"I am going to take Haruhi to dinner." Kyōya stated simply. Her father said something quietly that she couldn't hear. "When she is ready to come home, I will bring her forthwith." Was Kyōya's reply. "Goodbye, sir." He hung up the phone and handed it back to her. "We don't… that is if you are not hungry I will understand, but I will advise you that you should eat something."

"Thank you, Kyōya-sempai." She smiled. "Um… has all that makeup come off?"

Kyōya leaned forwards and studied her face. He reached for the packet, took out a wipe, and started to gently rub at the leftover makeup.

* * *

She didn't have that much makeup left over, but after his regulation he decided he would pursue Haruhi, and this would be the perfect opportunity to officially start. As he gently rubbed at the makeup that _was_ left, he noticed that they had not stopped staring at each other. He had gotten lost in the changing color of her eyes. After a he realized he was staring, he swallowed and pulled away. "That should be all…" He said and handed her the wipe.

"Uh, sempai… would you" she started to ask him something.

"What is it, Haruhi?" He smiled.

"Since there's quite a lot of room in your limo, and the dress is…" she took a breath. "Would you… getthezipper?"

"Huh?" Kyōya's eyed went wide. He wouldn't make her ask again, but it still shocked him that she asked him to do something like that. "Uh… of course."

She turned around slowly, swinging her knees to help face her back to him. "Thank you." She whispered.

He swallowed as he slowly moved the zipper down her back, releasing it as soon as he thought that she would be able to reach it, then quickly moved across the limo to sit on the other side to give her some space, burying himself into a book. He heard the rustle of fabrics and a few grunts before a pink monstrosity was in his face. "WHA?" He started to pull it away when he realized that it was the dress Haruhi had been wearing. Some more rustling, a few grunts, and a curse that Kyōya didn't realized Haruhi knew, later he heard her voice again. "You can look now." She said.

He pushed the fabric away and let it fall to the floor. "Haruhi, you-"

"Excuse me, sir, but we've arrived." His driver interrupted.


End file.
